One of the major causes of skin aging is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is associated with increased production of reactive oxygen species, such as free radicals and peroxides, or a significant decrease in the effectiveness of the body's antioxidant defenses. When left untreated, oxidative stress may cause skin to exhibit wrinkles, uneven skin tone, loss of skin thickness and elasticity, and other signs of skin aging. Oxidative stress may also cause double-stranded DNA breaks, which are among the more serious types of DNA damage.
Despite great demand, many anti-aging skin care products and treatments have not been proven to demonstrate the desired positive effects. Even the best performing creams often provide only slight, short-term improvement in the skin's appearance. A great diversity of active ingredients and combinations thereof may be found in the anti-aging creams currently on the market. While many of the active ingredients suspected of providing a beneficial, anti-aging effect on skin may be known, the optimal combination of these and other ingredients that provide a synergistic anti-aging effect remains unknown.